Creative Vocal Lab

Formerly Teen Voices

Grades 8–12

About the Instructors

Whether it’s the “Hot Lunch Jam” from Fame or the songs from “Glee,” the phenomenon of a group of singers that magically knows the words and harmonies of a song is what this workshop is all about. Explore and expand your musical creativity in this one-of-a-kind voice workshop and become part of a completely original vocal ensemble. Through daily improvisation and technical work, you will become more familiar with your own vocal anatomy and experience the fundamentals of vocal production through the creation of spontaneous harmonies and expressive music. You will also be a member of a small a cappella ensemble, in which you will be challenged to produce all sorts of sounds and original compositions.

Imagine what goes on behind the scenes of shows like NBC’s “The Sing Off” and learn the art of beatboxing (also known as vocal percussion), transforming your mouth into a veritable drum set. Students learn to master jazz harmony, rock vocals, and more through guided workshops in sight singing, belting, collaborative composition, lyrical interpretation, and style.

Creative Vocal Lab seeks to demystify the “magic” of a cappella singing, equipping you with the tools, tricks, and instincts that allow for on-the-spot vocal harmonies, thinking musically on your feet, and creating entire pieces of music using nothing but the voices, ears, and minds of you and your friends. Receive a DVD of the final concert.

To broaden exposure to the arts, the Creative Vocal Lab can be combined with Young Artists, Young Architects (new!), Youth Musical Theatre, Young Bards, Young Photographers, Young Filmmakers, the Songwriting Workshop, and/or Choral Conservatory to make for a well-rounded summer experience.

Session II: July 9–20
Monday–Friday, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
$1,165 for the first registration
$1,045 for the second registration in the family, Purchase College employees and alumni, and early registrations (received by May 4, 2012)

About the Instructors

Evan Feist (lead instructor) has been composing, arranging, teaching, and singing a cappella music and vocal percussion for more than 11 years. An alumnus of the Conservatory of Music’s undergraduate studio composition program at Purchase College, he is currently pursuing two master’s degrees in music education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He has created and/or managed several successful groups, including Choral Pleasure (honored by A Cappella Innovations), the Purchase College Soul Voices (directed by Pete Malinverni), and the Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK Honors Choir. He has also arranged, produced, and recorded for many of the nation’s premier vocal groups and has taught a cappella and vocal percussion workshops throughout the tri-state area.

Andrew Fox (instructor) is a songwriter, composer, producer, and educator working in film, theatre, and popular music. He has scored two award-winning films for Arcadia Creative and written arrangements and orchestrations for multiple plays and studio recordings. Mr. Fox recently released his self-produced solo EP, Disco Institute. Two films containing his work will be released in the spring: Solomon Grundy: Born on a Monday, featuring two of his original songs, and Thunderstruck, which he orchestrated and produced.